Harper commits additional $4M for NATO support of Ukraine military

HMCS Toronto is pictured in Halifax on Jan.14, 2013.

Photograph by: Andrew Vaughan
, Ottawa Citizen

NEWPORT, Wales — Prime Minister Stephen Harper committed $4 million Thursday to support Ukraine’s military as well as NATO initiatives in the Baltics, a contribution that falls far short of Ukraine’s request for armoured vehicles, small arms and other gear.

Canada will spend $1 million, through NATO, to improve Ukrainian military command and control and communications systems as well as computers.

In addition, $3 million will be provided to three NATO Centres of Excellence, which are located in the Baltic region, Harper announced at the NATO summit here. Those centres deal with cyber-security, energy security and strategic communications.

Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko thanked Harper for the contribution, noting that Canada has long supported his country.

But Harper’s announcement came nowhere near what the Ukrainians were requesting to help fight off a Russian invasion of their country.

In a recent interview with the Citizen, Ukraine’s ambassador in Ottawa, Vadym Prystaiko, said his country now needs rifles, armoured vehicles, surveillance equipment and other gear.

NATO now estimates there could be as many as 3,000 Russian soldiers fighting in Ukraine.

Harper told Poroshenko that Canada is watching developments in Ukraine “with great worry and sadness.

“But you have and can be sure that you have solidarity always,” he added.

NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen said it is up to individual alliance countries to decide whether to provide military equipment.

The U.S. has supplied some gear such as night-vision goggles but has been reluctant to provide arms such as anti-tank weapons. The Americans don’t believe such equipment would significantly improve Ukraine’s army while at the same time are worried that such gear would further antagonize the Russians into expanding their military intervention.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel has also rejected transferring weapons.

“We don’t believe this conflict can be solved militarily,” Merkel said. “We shouldn’t even create the impression that with weapons shipments and strengthening the Ukrainian army we could create a solution.”

Poroshenko said a ceasefire in the conflict could come as early as Friday if a meeting in Minsk with Russian, European and Ukraine officials proceeds.

“At (7 a.m. on Friday), provided the meeting takes place, I will call on the General Staff to set up a bilateral ceasefire and we hope that the implementation of the peace plan will begin (on Friday),” Poroshenko said.

Separatist rebels also indicated they would be ready for a truce as well if the right conditions prevailed.

Meanwhile, a Canadian warship will sail into the Black Sea in the coming days to take part in a multilateral exercise with Ukrainian, U.S. and other vessels.

HMCS Toronto, a Halifax-class frigate, will enter the Black Sea on Saturday to begin the exercise starting on Sept. 8, military officials at the NATO summit said.

The focus of the exercise, called Sea Breeze, is on interoperability, they added.

The U.S. and Ukraine are leading the exercise, with NATO participation. Fourteen warships are involved.

Military officials said that Sea Breeze is a longstanding exercise and that it is not being conducted in response to the ongoing crisis in Ukraine.

But the exercise comes a little more than a week after Ukrainian rebels opened fire on a Ukraine navy ship in the Azov Sea. Ukraine said one of its naval patrol vessels came under artillery attack by pro-Russian rebels from the shore.

In addition to Sea Breeze, about 100 Canadian soldiers are taking part in a NATO exercise called Steadfast Javelin 2. That is being conducted in Poland and the Baltic States.

Another exercise, Rapid Trident 14, will take place starting Sept. 11 in Ukraine. Thirteen Canadian military personnel will take part in that multinational exercise at the International Peacekeeping and Security Centre in Yavoriv from Sept. 11 to 28.

The exercise is designed to support interoperability with allied and partner nations and will focus on stability and peace support operations, the Department of National Defence said in a statement Thursday. It’s an annual Ukraine-United States-led exercise involving 1,200 troops from 16 nations, including Azerbaijan, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Denmark, Georgia, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania, Moldova, Poland, Romania, Spain, and the United Kingdom.

Four Canadian officers will be involved in a headquarters function, providing support to Ukrainian officers in command positions. Nine Canadian Army explosives specialists will also participate and provide training to counter improvised explosive devices.

We encourage all readers to share their views on our articles and blog posts. We are committed to maintaining a lively but civil forum for discussion, so we ask you to avoid personal attacks, and please keep your comments relevant and respectful. If you encounter a comment that is abusive, click the "X" in the upper right corner of the comment box to report spam or abuse. We are using Facebook commenting. Visit our FAQ page for more information.

Almost Done!

Postmedia wants to improve your reading experience as well as share the best deals and promotions from our advertisers with you. The information below will be used to optimize the content and make ads across the network more relevant to you. You can always change the information you share with us by editing your profile.

By clicking "Create Account", I hearby grant permission to Postmedia to use my account information to create my account.

I also accept and agree to be bound by Postmedia's Terms and Conditions with respect to my use of the Site and I have read and understand Postmedia's Privacy Statement. I consent to the collection, use, maintenance, and disclosure of my information in accordance with the Postmedia's Privacy Policy.

Postmedia wants to improve your reading experience as well as share the best deals and promotions from our advertisers with you. The information below will be used to optimize the content and make ads across the network more relevant to you. You can always change the information you share with us by editing your profile.

By clicking "Create Account", I hearby grant permission to Postmedia to use my account information to create my account.

I also accept and agree to be bound by Postmedia's Terms and Conditions with respect to my use of the Site and I have read and understand Postmedia's Privacy Statement. I consent to the collection, use, maintenance, and disclosure of my information in accordance with the Postmedia's Privacy Policy.